26 song of songs

8/14/2019 26 Song of Songs

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1112 :4 ECCLESIAS TES 99

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INTRODUCTION TOTHE SONG OF SONGS

The Song of Songs, tha t is to say 'the greatest of a ll songs' , is a series of lovepoems in which lover and loved are now uni ted, now divided, now scught , nowfound. The l ov er is ca ll ed 'k ing', 1:4 and 12, and 'Solomon', 3:7 and 9; hisbeloved is ca lled 'the Sh ularnmite ', 7:1, which t it le, it is thought, is r el at ed t othe 'Shunamrnitc' of Dav id's time and Solomon 's , I K 1:3; 2:21-22. ThatSolomon was a writer of songs Hebrew tradition was awar e, 1 K 5:12; for thi sreason 'the greatest of all songs' was attributed to him (h ence the title, I: I);i n t he same way as Proverbs, Ecclesiastesand Wisdom werecredited to Solomonin his capac ity of sage. This titu lar attrib ution ca used t he Song to be placedamong the Wi sd om Books, after Ecc lesias tes in the Greek Bible, betweenEcclesiastes and Wisdom (two 'Solomonic' books) in t he Vulgate. In the HebrewBible it is the first of the f ive megilloth, or ' ro ll s', which were rec it ed at thegreat feasts ; the Song was read at Passover.People have found i t surpr is ing that a book that makes no mention of God

and whose vocabulary i s so pass ionate shou ld f igure in the sacred canon. Thedoubt s in Jewish circles of the 1st century A .D . were , however , s et tl ed by anappeal to tradition. On t hes e s ame gro unds the Christian Church has alwaysaccep ted t he Song as par t of holy scripture.

Of a ll the Old Testament boo ks thi s has been most variously interpreted.Onl y two of these interpretations are accepta ble. T he Jewish rabbi s unders toodit allegorically ; the relationship of lov er and beloved is that between God andIsrael, the traditional p rophetic marriage metaphor dat ing fro m Hosea. Thewrite rs of the early Church , w it h the exception of Theodore of Mo psuestia,adopted the sam e explanat ion , though with th em th e a llegory becomes one ofChrist and his Church. T his allegorical interpretation is accepted, under var iousform s, by the majority of Ca t ho li c commentat or s today. Some are contentwith the general t heme, the elabora tion bein g pure ly l iterary, of God thebr idegroom of Israel. O thers see in the seq uence of the Song the story of Israel'scha nging seasons of co nversion, hope, d isillusion ment. Th is last interp retationis fully exp lained in the footnotes given here.

Oth er scho l ar s pre fer the more obv ious mean ing. For them the Son g is acollecti on of hymns to true Jove sanctified by union. And since God has givenhis blessing to marriage, the theme is of the religious and not merely of thephys ical order. Ot her book s of th e Old Testament touch upo n this same subjectof human lov e, Proverbs an d Ecclesiasticus fo r example; the approach is thesame as that of the So ng and , a t times, the very phrases. It is a nobl e theme andthe prophets rightly saw in it an apt image of God 's love for Israel. The t opicis not unworthy of a book that was to be received into the sacred canon andrecognised as inspired.

4

but also his greatness , by showing that this world is notwor th y o f him. It incites the reader to disinterestedrelig ion and to that kind of prayer in which a c reature ,aware of it s not hingness, adores the mystery of God.C r . P s 3 9.g. Commendatory epilogue: eulogy o f Oo he let h,vv , 9-11 . hardships of writ ing boo ks, v. 12. advice fora Quiet mind. vv. 13-14 .

h. Meaning doubtful . text carr.i. Defective phrase ; we insert 'duty'.

Epilogue"Besides being a sage, Qoheleth also taught his knowledge to t he peopl e, 9having weighed, studied and amended a great many proverbs. -Qo hclcth tried 10t o wri te i n an a tt rac tive style and to set down t ru thful thoughts in a straight

forward manner.The words of the sages are like goads, like pegs driven deep; a shepherd uses IIthese for t he good of his flocks."One last thing, my son, be warned tha t writing books involves endless hard 12work, and that much study wearies the body .To sum up the whol e mat ter: f ear God, and keep his commandments, since 13thi s i s the whole duty of man.' -For God will call all hidden deeds, good or bad, 14to judgement.

12 c . 'the vo ice of the bird is silenced (ceases)' corr .d. Here again, cr. 1:4f. indifferent nature formsthebackclo th for human death, T he old man dies at thevery mome nt that nature revives with the sprin g, 'isheavy with food ', ' bears its fr-ut" corr.e. The ea rthly part o f man retu rn s to earth . Butsince not hing on this earth can satisfy him. no t all ofhim orte rna res from earth. and thatwhich is of God .returns to God.f. The book ends as it began but has covered muchground in between . It has taught man his wretched ness

5:6S I I :13

and t he street doors are shut;when the sound of the mill is faint,when the voice of the bird is silenced,cand song notes are stilled,when to go uphil l i san ordea land a walk is something to dread.Yet the almond tree is in flower,the grasshopper is heavy with foodand the caper bush bears its fruit,"

Ps49:11 while man goes to his everlasting home. And the mourners are already walkingto and fro in the streetbefore the silver cord has snapped,or the golden lamp been broken,or the pitcher shattered at the spring,or the pulley cracked at the well,

; ~ ~ J : ~ or before the dust ret urns to t he earth as it once came from i t, and t he breath 7146:4 to God who gave it.'

1:2 Vanity of vanities, Qoheleth says. All isvanityJ


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IN T ROD U C T IO N TO T H E SON G 0 F SON G S 99 2If we accept the allegorical inte rpretation, it is pe rmissible to look for a

planned ar rangement in the Song matching the development of God's re lationswith Israe l, and to establish the dat e of the book by its his torical allusions.This method points to the second half of the 5th century B.C., no t earlier.If however t he book is a co llect ion of songs, possibly of varying pe riods, thehistorical argument is inapplicable ; nevertheless, the vocabulary an d stylethemselves ind icate a post-exilic origin.

Whatever theory of interpretation we adopt we are justified in applying th eSong to t he mutua l love of Chr is t and his Ch urch or to t he uni on of theindividual soul with God. Mystics like St Joh n of th e Cross were wise to usethe Song as they did . THE SONG OF SONGSTITLE AND PROLOGUE1Thc Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.

THE BR IDE Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth .Your love is more delightful than wine;delicate is thc fragrance of your perfume,"your name is an oil poured out,and that is why the maidens" love you.Drawme in your footsteps, let us run,The King" has brought me into his rooms;"you will be our joy and our gladness."We shall praise your love above wine;how right it is to love you.

F IRST POEM

4:101 12

b

4:10

III

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T H E BR IDE I am black! but lovely , daughters of Jerusaleru,like the tents of Kedar,like the pavilions of Salmah.Take no notice of my swarthiness,it is the sun that has burnt me.My mother's sons turned their anger on me.'they made me look after the vineyards'!Had I only looked after my own!"Tel/ me then, you whom my heart loves:Where will you lead your f lock to graze,where will you rest it at noon'?'

Is 5:1---1-Gn 37; 16

Ps 23: 13Ez k 34: IIn 1 : 1 ~ 2 11 a. Th roughout the Song t his image is symbolic of(he charm s tha i en t r ance and intoxica te the hear t .b. Th e maidens may represen t the na tions.cf. Is 23:12: 37;22; 47:1 : Jr 14: 17, CIC. Alt ho u gh I sraelis the privileged bri de. this does not excl ude o thernat ions from fal l i ng under t he spell of the Bridegroom.cr. 1,4 5:14 + ,c. Yahweh is k ing of Isr ae l, I S 12:12 ; Is 6:1,5:Jr 23:2: Ezk 34:11- 16. H e is f req uen tly given th is ti t lein pos t-exilic literatu re, cf. D t 33:5; Is 24:23 ; 33:22 ;4 1:2 1: 43 :15 : 44 :6 : Jr 51:57: Ob 21: Zc 14:9 : MI 1:14.as also in the esc ha to logical co ntexts in Ps 24:7; 47:8;4X:2 ; 6X:24 , etc . The Song may be in the sametradition .d. Poss ib ly. and in 3:4 : 8:2. t he Tem p l e in Je rus alem.focu s o f Israeli te devot ion in post-exilic times . Ezk 43:r-v rcr, \" 1'\): 1540:3 .9.10: 52:8 .12: Zc 1:16- 17 : 2:1O-IJ :j{:J: 1's U 1e . Abounding ioy charac teri ses a ll the prop hecteso f sa lvation. e.g . Is 9:2 ; 66:10 : J I 2;21.23 ; z 10:i;Ps 14:7; 16:9; 21:1.

f . Symbo lic of a se r ious ordea l, cr v. 6 ; Jb 30:30;1.01 4:8.g. T he 'da ugh ters of Je ru sale m'. dt sttnauishcd fr omZ io n by a litera ry fiction. d . 3: I I : Ito 2:4 : 9: 13.corr espond to the cho rus in Greek rruecdv. ap pea ledto by the speaker to express his thouxhts for him .h. 'Sulmah ' corr.: ' Solomon' Hcbr.i. The Cha tducans destroyed Jerusalem . Theywere ' b ro thers' o f Isra el, cr. ( 'In I I :211 ,3 1: 15:7 : 22:20-23.S ec a lso [) ( 26:5.

j . T he fo rced la b o ur of the exile .k . T h e vi neyard of th e Bride is Pa les tine.cf. Is 5: 1 . ; J r 12:10f: Ps SO lost to he r Ior a whi le.

Ho 2:5.14, 17.I. Yahweh . shepherd o f hi!t peop le. El k 34: I -r.will lead th em ho me In uu ex ttc. cr E/.\.\H : ~ Noonsymbot lscs the hciuht of happiness ...: f. Is 5 10: Ps n: t> ;

Jb 11:17 . here cs ....h ah l h lt::i ...:l l ha ppiness . d . S : 1 Is 5:30: X:20 4 1): I : A IIl 5: I ~ ,


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THE S O N G OF S O N GS

ow

III;:

6:1I :7: 13-14

= 6:3 ; 7:132:1 +

2'. 17

1:. T he mo unt a ins of J uda h . Cf. Is 40: 3-5.9-11;52;7 ; 62: 10-12.h . Sp ri ng is a symbo l of sa lvat io n. Ho 14:6-8. cf.2:5. 14. a nd t his des cript ion pre ludes t h e in vitation tore turn.i , Cryp t i c v erse. to be und er sto od in the Hutu ofHo 2:14.20 and Jr 12:7f. T h e l itt le foxe s arc mal evo lentneig hb our s. Samari tan s. Ammon ites . A ra b s. Philis tines ,hos tile to the restor at ion of J udah . d . EZf 4:2 : 9:2 ;10:181' N e 2: 19 ; 3:34f; 4:1. etc . : Ps 60:8-9 .C r. Is 27:2-4;Ps 80:6 .12- 13.J. Adapta tio n of th e pro phetic fo rm ula ' Israel isth e natio n of Yahweh and Ya hwe h is the G od of Israe l' .expr css lna the fina l resto ra t ion of the co venant a ftera tr ue cha nge of heart. C r. Ho 2:25 : Jr 3 1:33: Ezk 36:28.k. T his image . like the 'mo rn ing' an d 'aw aken ing'o f Ps 17:15 + . s ta nd s for the esc hatologica l ho ur ofdeliveran c e : the verse is re l a te d to 1:7 : 2:7 : 3:5: 8:4.

c . A pl ay 0 11 wo rds (avya toth, gaze lles; sebaoth,hinds) evoki ng the nam e of th e Lord o f hos ts (E loheiSebaoth).f. Slee p s ymbo lises the o rdea l o f ex ile. cf. Is 5 1:17.2 1-22 : 52 :1-2 : r es to ra tion depe n ds o n the willi ng co nversion of th e Brid e. d . Ho 2: IN; J r 3 1: 19.

leaping on the moun tains,bounding over the hills. gMy Beloved is like a gazelle,li ke a young stag.See where he standsbeh ind our wall.He looks in at the window,he peers through the lattice.My Beloved lifts up his voice,he says to me,'Come then , my love,my lovely one, come .Fo r see, winter is past, hthe ra ins a re over and gone.The flowers ap pear on the earth.The season of glad songs has come ,the coo ing of the tur tledove is heardin our land.The f ig tree is forming its first figsan d the blossoming vines give out their fragrance:Come then, my love,my lovely one, come.My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock,in the coverts of the c li ff ,show me your face,let me hear your voice;for you r voice is sweetand you r face is beautiful. 'Ca tch the foxes for us,the little foxesthat make ha vo c o f the vineyards,for our vineyards are in flower. iMy Beloved is mine and I am his'!He pastures his flock among the lilies.Before the dawn-wind rises,befo re the shadows flee,k

m. 'a va ga bond ' Syr.: Yu lg, 'a woman veiled ' Heb r.n. T he fore ign na t ions. J r 6:3. who se king s a rc'co mpanio ns ' o f Ya hweh. Ps 45:7 . S t ray ing Is rael seeks

her Hrtdegroom, J r 31:22 .c. Me Zi on. roya l res idence o f Isr ael.u. Ex ile in Baby lo n is tradi tlonal lv compa red wh its lavery in Egypt, Is 11: 11.16; 43: 16f ; 48 :2 1; 5 1:9- 10;52:4 ; Jr 23:7-8.Q. Poss ibly referring to t he joyful re turn fro m exile .r . T he m irac u lous fer tili ty o f Palestine a fter there sto r a t io n of the ex iles . cf'. H o 2:23f; 14:6f ; Is 2 9:17:30 :23f : Jr 31: 12. 14 ; Ezk 34:26f : 36:29f : 47:1- 12.s . Cedar and cypr ess fro m Leban on . p recious

materials o f the Tem ple and the pa lace of So lomon .2 a . T he ' rose ' (actually t he crocus) a nd ' lily' (t he redPa lestin ian anemone. cf. M t 6:28) a re symbo lic ofspr i ng , a nd of the eschat o logical age. cf. Is 35:1: Ho 14:6.b. Israel ha s the unique d istinctio n of being God' schosen na t ion. D t 7:6+ .c. Onc e bro ugh t back to Pa lest ine . the ban quethall ( l i t . ' ho use of wine ') of Go d . c f. I s 6 2:8 ; Jr 31:12.Isr ael wil l be int oxicated wit h th e wi ne of d ivi ne love .Cr. 1:2. 4 . 14.d . T he ra llying signa l fo r the cap tives . d . Is 11:12;49:2 2 : 6 2: 10.

995

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16

17

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12

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13

15

16

17

15

13

11

14

12

10

994

I hear my Beloved.See how he comes

SECOND POEM

That 1 may no more wander like a vagabond mbeside the flocks" of you r companions.If you do not know this, 0 loveliest of women ,follow the tracks of the flock,and take your kids to gra zeclose by the shepherds ' tents .aTo my mare harn essed to Pharaoh's chari otI compa re you, my love."Your cheeks show fa ir between the ir pendantsand you r neck wit hin its necklaces.We shall make you golden earri ngsand beads of silver.- While the King rest s in his own roommy nard yields its perfume.My Beloved is a sache t of myr rhlying between my breasts.My Beloved is a cluster of henna flowersamong the vines of Engedi .-H ow beaut iful you are, my love,how beaut iful you are !Yo ur eyes a re doves.- How beautiful you are , my Beloved,and how delight ful!All green is our bed. r- The beams of our house are of cedar,the panelling of cyp ress, s- I am the rose of Sharon ,the l ily of the valleys.a- As a lily among the thistles,so is my love among the maidens. b- As an apple tree among the trees of the orchard,so is my Beloved among the young men.In his longed-for shade 1 am seatedand his frui t is swee t to my taste.He has taken me to his banquet hall ,Cand the banner he rai ses over me" is love.Feed me with rais in cakes,restore me with apples,for I am sick with love.His le ft a rm is und er my head ,his r igh t embraces me.- 1 charge you ,da ughte rs ofJerusalem,by the gazelles, by the hinds of the field, enot to stir my love, nor rouse i t,until it please to awa ke'!

T H E S O N G OF SONG S

D IALOGUE OFTHE BRID E ANDBRIDEGROOM 'I

T HE BR IIJEGROOM

TH E BR ID E

T HE C HORUS

2

1:8

3:9

R:5

1:3 j

Jr 3 1:21

5:2-5 ::

II

"lI I


4/7

8: 14

5:6In 20:13

P r7 : 15

5:7

In 20: 17

R:2,5

- 8:4

3:1

3

THE S O N G OF SONGSreturn! ' Be, my Beloved,l ike a gazelle,a young stag,o n t he mountains of the covenant .On my bed, at nigh t, " I sought himwhom my heart loves .I sought but did not find him. "So I will rise and go through the Ci ty ;in th e streets and the squaresI will seek him whom my heart loves.. . . I sought but did not find him ."T he watchme n ' came u p on meon their ro unds in the City:'Have you see n him whom my hear t loves?'Sca rcely had I passed themtha n I fou nd him whom my hea rt loves.I held him fast, nor would I let him gotill I had brought himin to my mot her's house,"i nto the room of her who conceived me.

THE BRIDEGROOM I charge you,da ughters o f Jer usalem ,by the gaze lles, by the hinds of the field,not to stir my love, nor rouse i t,u nt il it please to awake.

996 1)1)7I 4 Ti lE BRIDEGROml T H E SO NG OF SONGSHow beaut iful you a re, my love,how bea utiful you a re!

Yo u r eyes, beh ind your vcil,a rc doves:your hai r is li ke a flo ck of goat sfrisk ing " dow n the slopes of G ilead.Your tee th a rc l ike a flo ck of sho rn ewesas they come up from the washing .Eac h onc has its tw in ,not onc unp a ired with another ,Yo ur lips arc a scarlet threadand you r words enchanting.Yo ur cheek s, behind yo ur veil,are hal ves of pome gra nate.Yo ur neck is the tower of Dav idbui lt as a fortress,hun g rou nd with a tho usa nd bucklers,an d eac h the shiel d of a her o.Your two breas ts a re two fawn s,tw ins of a gazelle,that feed among the lilies.Befo re the dawn -wind rises ,before the shadows f ee,I will go to the mo un tai n of myrrh,to the hill o f f ra nkincense. 'You a re who lly beautiful , my love,a nd without a blem ish.'

4:8

4 :3 ; 6:7

6:5-7

4:1

6:10Ps 122:7Ezk 27: 10 11

7:4

III

cwCome ' from Leba non, my promised bride. "co me from Lebanon, com e on your way.Lower yo ur gaze, fro m the height s of Amana,from the crests o f Senir and Hermo n,

6:10 : 8:5

1:17

TH IRD PO EMWh at is this comi ng up from the desertlike a co lumn of smoke,"breathing of myrrh and frank incenseand eve ry perfume th e me rchan t knows?See, it is the litter of Solomon ."Aro u nd it are sixty champions,the flower of the warrio rs of Israel;all o f them ski lled swordsmen ,veterans of battle.Eac h man has his sword at his side,against alarms by night.Ki ng So lomonhas made himse lf a throne of wood from Lebanon.The posts he has mad e of silve r, 10t he canopy of gold,the seat of purple ;the back is inl a id with ebony.'Daughters of Zion, IIcome and seeKi ng So lomon ,wear ing the diadem with which his mother crowned himon his wedding day, von the day of his heart's joy.

I. T he br ide had th ou ght her belove d was c oming10 her. Y\, 8 16. bu t he is no lon g er t here , cr 3:1.lsrncl asks Ya hweh to re t ur n 10 her.m. Li t. ' t he moun ta ins of the vi ctims cu t in half ' .l'he express io n a lludes 10Gn 15: I0 a nd recallsth e scenewhen Ya hweh g av e Ab ra ha m his p rom ise tha i theca ru ives wou ld retu rn . G n 15: 16 .J a . Night symbo lises lon g and pain f ul wa iting10:1'.155:30 : 8:22 ;9 : 1;2 1: 11; 26:9 : 59 :9; Ps 130:6. crc.,b. To 'seck ' o r ' find ' or ' no t f ind ' Ya hweh arc exnrcss fons occ urring o ften in th e pro p hets, d . Am 5:4 -1 .ltcfore lett ing himself be fou nd , Ya hwe h insis ts on aH ue change of heart. Ho 3:5 : 5:6 , 15 ; J r 29:13,

e. Jerusalem . Cf. the allusions to th e Temple,1 4 , 17: 3:4; 5: 10- 16, a nd the references to the 'da uuhtcrsof Jer usalem' .d . Expressing the discou ragement of those ba ckfrom ex ile, d . Is 59:9-11; 63: 15- 64: II .e. Possibly th e for eign pow er in co nt ro l of thecapita l.f. The Temp le built by the fo rm er Israel, mo therof the present Israel. T he ' roo m' is the Ho ly of Holies .a. Sign , c r. Ex 13: 22+ . o f the presence of Yahwehwho leads the exiles home in a second Exo dus ,d . Is 40:) -l-,h. ' So lomo n ' (whose nam e and history a re evo ca tiveof peace) is here the m es sianic ki ng who br ings t heescha to logical peace so lu ng des ired by the exiles ,cr. Is 11:6+ , a hop e associated with the coming of the

Messia h, d . Is 9:5-6: Ezk 34:23-25: Zc 9:9-10 ; Ps 72:7-8 .i. TheHebr. word, not us ed e lsewhere in the Bib le,seems to suggest t he thr one room of So lomo n, I K 7:7,cf. 1Ol g-20: or (by emendat ion) the audience cha mber

of the Persian ki ngs. in whic h case ' So lomo n ' \..o uld beassociated with t he Grea r Ki ng .[, 'ebony' corr.: ' love' Hcbr. . whic h ad ds ' fro m t heda ughters of Jer usalem' .k , Ent hro nemen t wi th me ssia nic ove rtones. T heki na' s mo th er is the nat ion. whosc acclamat ion is th enecessar y pre lude to his assumpt ion of power, cr. 1 S11: 15 : I C h 11: 10 : 29:22, e tc. T he co ming o f themessia nic usc is also the day o r the myst ical marriagebetween Ki ng Ya hweh and his peo ple .

4 a. T he brid e was veiled when p resen ted to herhu sband. cf. Gn 24:65 ; 29:2325 .h. T he Heb r. ver b sugxests vio lent movem ent : thecompa riso n evokes t he b lack waving hai r o f the bride .c . vv, 6 an d 7 should pro bab ly be interch anged .T he mountuiu of myrrh and hi ll o f frankince nse re prese nt the stte of the Te mple, ' My rr h' (Heb r. m ar ) isa ppa re n t ly i ntend ed to suxgcst Moriah . cr 2 Ch 3: I :incense was us ed only in sac rifice.d. Israel has been purified by ex ile. cf' Is 40:2. TheCa tho l ic l itur gy applies this verse to th e Imm acula teConcep t ion.c . 'C ome' ve rsio ns ; 'Wit h me' Hebr . In con tras tto 2:8(, it is now the bridegroom who is in Jerusalem(v . 6) ca lling to the brid e.I. T he ' p romised bride', o r 'bet ro thed '. not yettak en to wife . is in reali ty wife a lready: Israel theun faithfu! a nd re jected wife. Ho 2:4; Jr 3:1,8 : Is 54: I,6-7 ; bu t whe n Yahwe h takes her back she becomes (he' betro thed ' once more, Ho2:21-22 ; Is49:18 ; 61 : 10;62:5.


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II 4:9 THE SONG OF SONGS 998 999 THE SONG OF SONGS s: 12

I charge you ,daughters of Je ru sa lem,if yo u shou ld lind my Belo ved,wha t mu st you tcll h im .. . '?T ha t I am sick wit h lo ve. ow


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THE BRIDEGROOM

r. T his diff icult verse seems to mea n that by aspo nt aneo us impu lse Yahweh places himse lf a t the hea d

m. Hebr. o bsc ure . Another reference to t he 'b ro nzeSea' ?n. Lower part o f the cheeks where (he bea rd grows,hence the following compariso n. Cf. I K 6:29.n . Ceda r woo d was liberall y used in the co ns tr ueuon of t he Temp le. cr . I K 6:9. erc.: ' the whole of itwas of ced ar ' . 1 K 6: IH6 a . T he garden is Palestin e. here ident ified 'vu h th eBride. 4:12.b. Rcpct tuo n o f 2:16 wit h an in version in the firstlinc 10 emphas ise th at the br ld es re turn to Yah weh iswholeheart ed.c . The text adds ' terrible as ar mies' , T ir zahCshe is plea sing.' or 'favoured' ) was the first ca pit a l ofthe No r the r n Kingd om : the seco nd capital, Samaria ,is de liberurelv supp ressed . nam ing: t he N. and S.capi ta ls the author hin ts that t he bride is the person ifica t ion of the new. 'G rea ter lsrae t-c-a t radition a l asp irati on , Jr 3:18 - - .d . Lit , ' the}' take me by sto rm".c. Wives of full status and conc ub ine slaves as inSo lom on 's harem . Her e the women rep resent the oasaunat ion s : Sg 1:3 + , associ a tes t hem with Israe l.uniquel y chosen by God, Dt 7:6 + .

ow

'"

2:11+7: 13-14

4: 12 i-4:4

7=8

o f his peo ple .7 a. ' ma id o f Shul am' t.e.. 's he who has peace ':in the new Solom on. 3:7 r- , she has fo un d o r recoveredher peace,

h, T he wo re ' return' repeate d four times evokest hc ret ur n frum exile, cr. 1:7- 11: 2:7, 13 : 3:6: 4:8: 8;5 ,In H o and Jr it is th e key word of the nro phct ic them eof the re turn: t he exiles will ' ret urn' hom e, Jr 3: 12:12:15. e tc.. cr. Is 35: 10 ; 49:5-6 : 51: 11: b ut their hea rtsmus t ' return ' to God , 110 3:5: 5:15: J r 3:14, etc . Thep lay o n these two se nses in Jr ,q : I H (d . 15:19) istradit iona l.c, Li t. ' as a dan ce o f two camn s". Obsc ure . Th efo llowin g dcs crtuuon of thc Bride bala nces that o f theBridcg r uor u in 5: 10- 16, though her e there a re refere ncesto cert a in geographica l features of Palest ine.

d . Jerusalem. in the cent re of t hc l I ~ ) Elk 5:5 ,cr. 3S:12 : it is enc irc led by valleys .c , Eba l and G er tztm, '{win' mounta ins .I. Poss ibly G reat Herm on . overloo kin g:Damascus.1:. Vei led re feren ce to the king o f Tvre . a lly o fDav id an ti So loO\o n, 2 S 5:11; 1 K 5:15f :9 : IOf : 10:1 1f.h. Li t. ' da ughter o f deli ah ts". Svr . a nd Aq uila:' in de lights' lI eb r.i. Tamar, 'p alm t ree', is t he name orsevera l womenin the Bible . G n 38 :6 : 2 S 13: I : 14:27 .

I went down to the nu t orc hardto see what was spro ut ing in the valley,to see if the vines were buddingand the pomegranate t rees in f lower.Before I knew . . . my desire had hur led meon the chariots of my people, as their princeJRet urn, return, 0 maid of Shulam ,"return, ret urn , that we ma y gaze on you! I,Why do you gaze on the maid of Shulamdancing as tho ugh between two rows of dancers?"How beaut i fu l are your feet in their sandals,o prince's da ught er!The curve of you r th ighs is like the curve of a necklace,wor k of a master han d.Yo ur nave l" is a bow l well ro undedwith no la ck of wine,yo ur belly a heap of whea tsurrounded with lilies.Your two breasts are two fawns,tw ins of a gazelle.'Your neck is an ivory tower.Your eyes, the poo ls o f Heshbon ,by the ga te of Bath-ra bbirn.You r nose, t he Tower of Lebanon ,!sentinel facing Da mascus.Your hea d is held high like Carmel,and its pla its a re as da rk as purp le;a king is held captive in yo ur tresses."How beautiful you a re , how charming,my love, my del ight!"In stature like the palm tree, i

fair as the moon,resp lendent as the sun ,te rrible as an army with banners?'

TH E S ON G OF SO N GS

65

fOOl

,17 THE CHORUS

II/(J

121/

....,...

11 5:13 T H E SONG OF SONGS 100 0bathed in mi lk ,a t rest on a pool. '"His cheeks" a re beds of spices. 13Ps 133:2 banks sweetly scented.His lips are lilies,d isti ll ing pure myr rh.His hands a re golden, rou nded, 14set with jewels of Ta rshish.His belly a block of ivorycovered wit h sapphires.H is le gs a re alabaster col umns I Sset in sockets of pure gold.H is ap pearance is that of Lebanon,unr ivalled as the cedar s. 0His conversation is sweetness itself, 16he is a ltogether lovabl e.Such is my Beloved, such is my friend ,o daughters of Jerusa lem.6THE CHORUS Where did your Beloved go, I/ 7o loveliest of women?Which way did you r Beloved turnso that wecan he lp you to loo k for him?

4:12-16 THE BRIDE My Beloved went down to his garden,"to the beds of spices,to past u re his flock in the ga rdensand ga ther lilies.7 . I am my Beloved's , a nd my Beloved is mine.He past ure s his flock among the lilies."

F I FT H P O E MTHE BRIDEGROOM You are beautiful as T irzah, my love,fai r as Jerusalem.'Turn your eyes away,

for they hold me captive."Your hai r is like a flock of goatsfr isking down the slopes of Gilead.Your teeth a re like a flock of sheep 65as they come up from the washing.Eac h one has its twin ,no t one unpaired with ano ther.4:1 You r cheeks, behind your veil,are halves of pomegranate .T here are sixty queensand eighty concubines '(a nd countless maidens) .But my dove is unique, 98mine, unique and perfect.Pr 4:3 She is the darling of her mother,the favourite of the one who bore her.

Pr 31:28 The maidens saw her, andproclaimed her blessed ,queens and concub ines sang her praises:3:6 'Who is this arising like the dawn, 10Rv 12:1 9


7/7

T9 THE SONG OF SONGS / 0 0 2 /0 0 3 T H E S O N G OF SON GS 8:14

Aphor ism of a sageWere a ma n to offer a ll the wea lt h of h is house to buy love , co ntemp t is a ll

he wo uld pu rchase.Two epigrams"Ou r siste r is little: her br easts are not yet for med .' W ha t shall we do fo r our

" s iste r on the day she is spoken for'?'" 11' she is a ra mpart . o n the crest we willbui ld a batt leme nt of silver ; if she is a do or , we will board her up- with planksof cedar.- I am a wa ll, a nd my breas ts rep resent its towe rs . And under h is eyes

10 I have found t ru e pea ce.Solomo n " had a vineya rd at Baa l-hamon. " He entrusted it to ove rseers,v

II a nd eac h one was to pay him the va lue of its produce, a th ousa nd shekels ofsilver. But I loo k after my ow n vineyard myse lf." You, So lomon, ' may have

12 yo ur tho usa nd shekels, a nd th o se who oversee its produce' t hei r two hundred .

ow

II>:2:17

k . Bitter cri uc tsm . based on t rudirional tv theocraticnrtncinlcs . of the wo rldly wisdom of a Je wish ru ler.p robably Jo hn I Ivrcanus . ~ 105).I. Jeru sa le m , w eak and po cu-l y fo rtified .Il l . AskeJ in mar ria ge , The gi rl' s bn u hc rs are the

Sad ducees T he} nlu u sto u t a nd ": ls t ly defe nces. v. 9.But th e ncrsonuled C uv nroudlv an swers tha t s he has110 need of t hese : nod is he r nro tcc tor. wha t shouldshe Icar"n . Lit. ' se t u p aga inst her ' co r r. : ' enc lose her' lI ebr.

u . Th e SOIOllHlIl not o f mct unhor hu t o f hi story.n. Lit. ' the no nul o us o ne' , veiled al lusio n 10Pales tinc. cr. I K 4:20 ,

(I. 0 1lhials rc snonsib !c for coflcc tiuu the tributeand tuxes. d . 1 K 7 10 : 5 7 ~ 1', II is un d er my ow n car e . wh hout as sis tuncc From

a nyone e lse.s. Here Solomon is probably John H vr can u s (a"Solomon ' in his pol iticn l nrubi uo m : let him Keep wha the ha s ex torted.

1. T he Sadd ucean official s .u , Singular , he re rc f cr rl n u tn \Visd \II11 , idcnt iliedwil h t ill briJ e of th e 1 I 1 d . Ws S:2.\', 'm}' .:on w an io lls' l. l)rr,: ' lhc compa nions' lI ebr.Th c l \ lnlPil I1Y o f th e devou l. d. Ps t 19:62.

w, WisJo tll ~ , " he r an swer (.;omDoscJ by ad itTe:rcn l au thor who ma kes use of the wnr Js n r th eUrid e in 2:17).

~ , Na mely . th e ' H t u uc' o f Ezk desig-nu tin u the Indi acnous peo ples o f Cana an, with who mth c I s ruc l i tc s intermarried after t he COIl LllH S . Thisca r l} b lem ish was th e cause 0 1" subsequent unfa ithfuln ess.h. T IH sea l, aucsunu the wis hes o f its o wn er , heresY lIhl llises t ile wishes o f Yahweh , i.c . th c Law .I. Yahwe h is a 'Iealuus' (; 0..1 E..: 34:14 : DI 4:24. e tc .

I. Sbco l. Nh is a p er sonitlcauo n here an dmor e or le ss cquiv alc tu to Death . cr. PI' 27:10 : 30;16.

APPENDICES

Has te away, my Belo ved .Be l ike a ga zelle,a yo ung st ag,on th e spicy mountai ns."

I. Th e bride be longs on ly 10 Ya hweh. d . 110 2:4 :E/.I\ ~ J , 1 k . Po ssiblr th e sleeping Shutarnmucss, cf'. 2:7 :3:5: H:4,5.I. In Gn 3: 16 the woman' s vearnin g is conrrnstcd' . - th th e ma n's aut hori ty ; here t he m ystic br-ide o fYahwe h meets with lo ve in st ea d .

Ill , lu vltuuon (0 enj oy t he spr ing t ime, as in 2: 10f ;bu t i l is the br ide who speaks IHH v.n . 'N ight ' , ' mo rn i ng' , o rdeal Io tlowcd by theesc har olouical Daw n . S ec 1 :7: 2; 17: 3:1: 5: 2.u . Con sumnun ion of t he new and conclusive covenan t between Ya hweh am i Isr ae l.n. T he man d ra ke was rhouuh t to s timu late sexualdes ire a nd to pro mote fert ility . cf . G n 30:14-16 .

q . The fruit s nld and new , l,v 26:10, evok e.cf. 110 2: 17- IX: J r 2:2 : Is 54 ;6X till. t ime of ru-imit f vcfide lity i n t he dese rt an d that of renewed fidelity in thefu tu re .8 a. Ya hweh , t he br-idearoorn o f the Shulummin-ss iss tifl inacccssib tc ; she p rays him t u co rne as a "br o ther ".as Imm anuel , (J o J -, ,"iIIH IS . Is 7: 14 : X H.

b. Th e aut hor has Pr 7: 13 in min d . bUI mor espc ci ticat lv t he classic forruulu ' W hen: is y our God;" .JI 2: 1 7: M i 7: 10: Ps 42:3,10: l ) ; l ) 0 115:2.Co To t he Temp le, 3:4 j- , wh en; th e messianic Kin a.descended from Dav id , will have h is thro ne . Is II : Ill:M i 4:H: Z l. 6:9-15 : 9:Y-10: Ps 2:6: 110:2.d . In th e cscharo tonicat age. God himsel f willtea ch h is nconlc . Is 4 :: :17: 54;13; 55 : lf : J r3 1:3334.cr. Pr 9; 1 c. It is ui c i \ annroachina . lca ninu on th eBelo ved w lw has sp,)I;en hean 10 hean with her in the

Lleserl. I ll) .2 :16-.:25: sh e wiII no w enjo y her own lan J~ i

f . Hi lhen {)s he has dclkd a w a k c 2:7: 3:5 : 5:: :x:4 : now a l last on the so il lIf the 1l{)ly Land Yahwehhimself ro u s es h er.

Final addit ionsYou" who dwe ll in the garde ns, my companio ns" liste n fo r your vo ice; de ign

to let me hear it .14

13

[ [ill

[ 0'I

IIt :

"I

9s

14t s

CON C L U S I O NWho is th is com ing up fro m the desertlean ing o n her Belove d'?"I awakened yo u unde r the ap ple tree ,"ther e where yo ur mot her co nce ived yo u,the re where she who gave b irth to yo u conce ived yo u. "Se t me like a sea l on yo ur heart ,like a seal " on yo u r a rm .Fo r love is stro ng as Dea th ,jea lo usy ' relentless as Sheo l.T h e na sh of it is a flash o f fire,a Ilame of Ya hweh him self.Lo ve no Iloo d ca n q uench,no torren ts drow n.

its fru it-clusters your breasts.'I will climb the palm tr ee,' I resolved,' 1 will seize its clu ste rs of da tes ."Ma y yo ur b reasts be clus ters of grapes,you r breath sweet-scent ed as appl es,you r speak ing. superla tive w ine.Wine flowing' str a igh t to my Beloved,as it r uns on the lips o f tho se who sleep."I am my Bclovcds,and his des ire is [o r me .'Come, my Beloved,let us go to the fields.>We will spend the nigh t in the villages,a Ill! in the mo rning we wit l gn to the vineyards."We will sec if the vines a re budding,if the ir blo ssom s a re o pen ing,i f the pom egra nate trees are in lluw cr.T hen I shall give yo uthe gif t o f my love . :Th e mandrake s yie ld their Ira grancc, the rarest frui ts a re a t our doo rs ;the new as well as the o ld, '/I have sto red them for yo u, my Beloved.Ah , why a rc yo u not my brothe r,nursed at my mother's breast'Then if I met yo u o ut o f doo rs, I cou ld kiss youw ithou t peop le thinking ill o f me ."I should lead yo u, I should take yo uinro my mo the r's house," and you would teach me !"I sho uld give you spiced wine to d rink,juice o f my pomegranates .Hi s left a rm is unde r my heada nd hi s r ight embraces me.I charge yo u,dau gh ter s 0 1 Jerusa lem,no t to st ir my love, nor ro use it,unt il it please to awa ke .

T i l l ' . IlR[[H

T u t R R[D HOJ(()()\1

T ur [ ) E G R ( ) Tu s CIIORUS

8

D I ~ . , I

Is 43:2

- ~

: - ,

7: I .Gn 3: 1{12: Itl - I

JA

D t ( 16 .111: IHPr 3 Jr ~ I : . ~

16 ; "?I l

2. 11, I. 11

.2 :7; - J::i :: ;

2:7; ~ : \ ~ : : 2

26 song of songs

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